


The Man in the Iron Mask

by TheSixthPhoenix



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens (2015)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Historical, Civil Unrest, F/M, France (Country), Man in the Iron Mask Mystery, Political Marriage, Romance, Slow Burn, prisoner
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-05
Updated: 2016-12-04
Packaged: 2018-08-13 06:40:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 21,872
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7966465
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheSixthPhoenix/pseuds/TheSixthPhoenix
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Man in the Iron Mask Mystery Historical AU<br/>After the death of her father, Rey Kenobi moves in with her father's oldest friend and wife to King Snoke, Leia Organa. She expects an escape from the political unrest which grips the country. What she doesn't expect to find is a mysterious masked man in the dungeon who will turn her life upside down.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

“Mademoiselle Rey Kenobi of Jakku, your highness” the butler announced as he held open the door to the petite woman with her long brown hair tied into an elegant bun behind her head, her taupe dress gently cascading from where it sat on the edges of her shoulders. She walked with all the elegance that could be taught to someone, though none of it seemed to come naturally.  
“Thank you, Pierre” the Queen before she rushed forward to wrap her arms around the other woman as the butler nodded and closed the door behind him. “It’s good to see you Rey” she muttered into Rey’s shoulder, sighing as she let out the young woman’s name.  
“It’s good to see you too Leia” Rey replied as she held her one of her late father’s closest friend tightly. They pulled apart minutes later, though neither of them were ready to speak. Leia’s eyes darted around the room, her eyes skimming over all the pieces of finery, from the gold leaf artwork to the delicately embroidered furniture, but did not focus. Her mind was full of thought, panic about what was to come. Now, was not a safe time for anyone, let alone her.  
“I’m sorry about what happened to your father, Rey. Truly words cannot express my sadness at what unfolded, Obi Wan was one of my closest friends and he will be sorely missed” Leia explained, her eyes still looking at the room rather than the woman in front of her.  
“Thank you, I miss him every day” Rey sighed, her eyes filling with tears as the words slipped from her mouth.  
“Yes… of course” Leia replied, her eyes now focused on her hands that were folded tightly in front of her. “Now” she shook her head quickly, breaking herself from the trance she had fallen into momentarily “You’ll be staying with us for the time being, as I’m sure you’ve been told, you have free reign other than my husband’s chambers, just make yourself at home” she rattled off, a business like tone taking over her voice.  
“Sure, Leia?” Rey spoke carefully as she leaned down to catch Leia’s eyes that were once again focused on the floor. “What’s going on?” she asked quietly, unsure if she wanted an answer.  
“It’s just, it’s just” she began, her voice trailing off and her front tooth coming forward to bite her bottom lip.  
“It’s what?”  
“The rebels, they don’t like my husband’s rule, so they’re protesting, trying to destroy your monarchy. Hench why they attack your father. I’m so sorry Rey” she explained.  
“It’s not your fault Snoke’s a tyrant” Rey told her, putting both her hands on Leia shoulder’s to raise her from where she was leaning towards the floor, as if she threatened to disappear into it.  
“I just feel I should be able to do something, I’m his wife” she cried, breaking her usually formal resolve.  
“It’s not your fault” Rey repeated, her heart breaking for the older woman.  
“Your Highness, the Duchess of Hoth is waiting for you downstairs” the butler from earlier informed Leia, bowing as he opened the door.  
“Of course, yes. I’ll be down in a moment” she replied. Pierre, nodded and closed the door behind him as he left.  
“I have to go, make yourself at home Rey” Rey nodded as she watched Leia leave. This woman was nothing like the lady she remembered from her childhood. No, that strong, feisty woman had been buried by years of political uncertainty.  
As Rey wandered through the castle she soon found herself walking down the gentle spiral of the stone steps that lead down to the dungeons. While she knew there would be no prisoners she wanted to see down there- for the castle dungeons were no longer used properly, only for overflow-, the guard was a different story.  
“Finn!” she cried as she turned the corner at the bottom of the stairs to see her friend slumped against the wall, half asleep like usual.  
“Rey” he replied with sleepy enthusiasm as he shook himself awake, before walking forward to embrace her in a tight hug. “Oh I wish you weren’t here” he muttered into her shoulder.  
“Why?” she asked confused, pulling away from his hug.  
“It’s not safe, not that anywhere is these days, but especially not here, what with the rebels targeting Snoke, an attack is imminent” Finn elaborated. He feared for Rey, she had already suffered so much recently what with the rebels attacking her father, just because he was one of the upper class.  
“Well, it’s imminent everywhere so I might as well be here to see the action” Rey joked, hoping the fear was audible in her voice.  
“Yeah” Finn scoffed, pulling her into another hug. “It’s good to see you Rey it’s been too long”  
Rey’s days at the castle seemed to drag aimlessly, she spoke to Finn, spoke to Leia, ate her meals, wandered aimlessly around the gardens until she went to bed. They hadn’t let her grab any of her book before she left (and the library didn’t have any fiction in site), she had simply been uprooted and dumped in a foreign environment full of faces she knew that hid things she didn’t. Things got worse when Finn she stopped being able to find Finn, he was always busy with something in the dungeons now, never the time for her. At least he obviously has something to do now, she thought but could not be fully happy for him as he lonely days stretched on further and further.  
On the day she finally was able to talk to Finn again he seemed different, distant.  
“Finn what’s been going on? You’re never around when I come to look for you anymore, and there are loads of new guards downstairs” she asked one day when she passed him in the corridor, he was carrying what appeared to be a covered plate of food.  
“A new prisoner arrive, his prison had been attacked by the rebels, so he was moved here. I’m sorry I have to go, I need to take this food downstairs and sort the arrangements for the transport of the guests for the annual dinner next month” he explained, making to leave. Rey caught his arm.  
“Why are you doing that? You’re meant to be in charge down there not a servant” she questioned, confused.  
“I’ve been demoted, a new guard, Hux I think, took over when the new prisoner arrived” he explained sadly.  
“Oh, I’m so sorry” Rey didn’t really know what to say, she had been visiting when he got the job and remembered how proud he had been about it. “Do you want me to take that?” she said, gesturing to the plate of food. “You look like you could do with some help” she added.  
Finn sighed clearly conflicted, but in the end his stress levels won out.  
“Okay here you go, but if there is any sign of trouble back off, don’t argue with the guards down there, they’re not like me” he warned as he cautiously handed her the tray of food.  
“Sure” she nodded as they parted ways. As she walked to the dungeons she her mind wandered to the prisoner who was down there. Who was he? He was obviously important, what with all this security. But how come she hadn’t heard anything about his arrival, it was as if it was all some big secret, maybe Finn shouldn’t have told her anything, maybe she was walking into some massive mess way bigger than, after all she was only the daughter of a dead lord.  
She pushed those doubts aside as she walked up to the two big burly men standing by the door, dressed in some kind of white plated armour and masks.  
“Food for the prisoner. Finn sent me” she stated, straightening up and trying to hid the tremor from her voice. The heads of the guards tilted down to take in her small frame. After a long pause, one opened the door to let her through. She thanked them and then walked cautiously into the room. It was dark, the only light from the slit window and week candle flame that sat on the table next to the bed which was bare except from a single half stuffed pillow. Though her eyes only grazed over the furnishing, for one that bed for a man. He had a lithe frame that was hunched over as he sat on the edge of the bed. Though she couldn’t see much of him, for most of him was hidden by a black tunic that drapped over his shoulders and flowed down to his legs, on which were loose black trousers that just poked through the thick, coarse fabric of the tunic. His face however was a different story. Where her eyes should have met a face they instead where met by the cold metal of his black mask. The black metal covered everything aside from the eyes where a shiny, black tinged glass sat, eye holes she presumed. Below that lay at series of silver metal bars, to allow him to breath, she guessed, which stopped when they reached the black metal again, though this metal formed a segment which sat over where his mouth should be.  
“You’re different from the rest of the guards” a cold voice with a mechanical twang to it noted, pulling Rey from her thoughts.  
“No, I’m Mademoiselle Rey of Jakku, I’m bringing you your food as a favour to my friend” she explained quickly, placing the food down on the table next to him, curtsying as she did so.  
“They run out of guards then?” he questioned, though she sensed he did not want answer, she was glad of this fact for she didn’t think she would have been able to answer him if she tried. She was transfixed by the way his gloved hand reached forward to pick up the key on the edge of the plate, it was so small she didn’t even notice it while walking down to the dungeon. He lifted it to under his jaw, his hands fumbling for the smaller of two padlocks she only now saw.  
“Let me do it” she said hastily, seeing his difficulty. A noise that sounded like an affirming grunt echoed from inside the helmet as he handed her the key. She moved closer and he tilted his head back with such ease she did not doubt he had done this many a time. As she twisted the key in the lock she saw the padlock break open and her hands were swatted away by his far larger gloved one. She continued to watch closely as he pulled the padlock out of its gap and set it down on the table. Then she understood the two segments on the mask as he pulled the one around the mouth away, revealing a full bottom lip and defined chin. A lock of long black hair that had swung forward was briefly visible before his gloved fingers pushed it back into the mask. With this he began to eat. Sensing it was time to exit, she made a move for the door.  
“You really are new aren’t you?” the voice next to her asked, the metal twang gone now, allowing her to hear it’s deep yet boyish nature.  
“Yes” she answered curtly.  
“How do you know I’m going to put this” he asked, gesturing to the mouth piece that lay on the table “back on, if you leave now? I’m meant to have close supervision when this is off” he continued, his face angled towards her retreating form.  
“So I stay?”  
“You stay” seeing now where to sit she remained standing but moved herself away from the door way to in front of the table but still keeping her distance. She didn’t like to admit it but not being able to see his eyes scared her. She had always seen the eyes as the window to the soul, a gateway to the truth, like how Finn’s also shone with friendship or Leia’s with the embers of a fiery spirt that had been long extinguished but continued to burn.  
“Why are you wearing that?” she blurted out, immediately cursing herself for letting her curiosity get the better of her. He scoffed at her question, swallowing his food as he placed his fork back down on the table next to the dull meat and stale looking bread he had been eating.  
“You are very new” he shook his head, looking at her behind his visor. Seeing she still looked confused he added, “I don’t choose too”, gesturing to the remaining lock under his chin.  
“Why though?” she pressed further, figuring she was down the rabbit hole at this point and might as well continue.  
“They don’t want anyone I know who I am, I guess” he answered before returning to his food.  
“Why though?” she continued pressing.  
“Maybe because my identities dangerous to them so they don’t want anyone to know” he answered vaguely before quickly adding “You’re a lot chattier than the regular guards”.  
“I’m not a guard, I’m a guest of her Royal Highness. I’m just helping a friend” she explained. He seemed to ponder this information as he picked up the mouth guard that lay next to him and placing back in its place, snapping the padlock in at the same time. He placed the plate on the tray with a surprising amount of grace, it seemed to flow naturally through his fingers, before picking it up and standing up and walking the few paces to where she stood to hand it to her. It was at this point she took in how tall he was, his lithe form towered over her. She curtsied again, feeling like she should for some reason, fear? No, this was something else.  
“What did you say your name was?” he asked, the mechanic twang back.  
“Rey” she replied quickly.  
“It was nice to meet you Rey; I look forward to our next meeting”.  
Before she left she made correct him, but as she opened the door she realised she wanted him to be right. She wanted to see the masked man again. Something intrigued her about him, and she was going to find out more, she swore as she closed the door behind her and left the guards and door in her wake, ascending the stairs, the image of him still at the forefront of her mind.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you would like to know more about the real events this is based on watch this video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LEk66OXuKmM


	2. Chapter 2

As Rey fell asleep that night, in the bed she had slept in for many nights but still felt foreign to her, her mind was dominated by thoughts of the man she had met in that dark dungeon. Why was he there? Why the heavy security? Why the mask? Why couldn’t she get him out of her head? The image of his mask stained her eyelids as she eventually fell into the clutches of sleep.

The next day she immediately went to try and find Finn, though she no longer tried the dungeon but instead wandered the halls, hoping he would be a round the next corner she turned around, and eventually he was.

“Finn!” she cried running over as fast as her long blueish-grey dress would allow. Meeting up with his brisk, business-like walk she fell into pace with him.

“Rey, I’m sorry I can’t talk right now, one of the guards on the gate is sick and I need to find a replacement” he explained briefly, though she did not leave his side.

“I know, I know, you’re busy, I know” Everyone seemed to be busy at the moment, “this will only take a moment, as you’re so busy would you like me to take some food down to the dungeon again?” she asked, trying to make the request sound like she was trying to be helpful. Her words made Finn stop dead in his tracks. The speed at his actions that followed astounded even her. Without a word he grabbed her by her shoulder, pushed her into the empty guest room next to them and slammed the door behind them.

“Rey” he told her heavily, his breath heavy “I’m telling you this as you’re friend so please listen to me when I say that you need to stay away from what’s going on down there” he continued, his brown eyes boring into hers. “I should’ve never let you go down there” he muttered to seemingly to himself, breaking eye contact to stare at the floor beneath them.  “It’s dangerous, I don’t know exactly what’s going on but security that size is never for nothing, so just stay away”.

“Aren’t you the least bit curious though?” Rey asked, knowing Finn had seen the man in the mask just like her.

“No I’m not, I don’t _want_ to know why he’s down there because I know whatever the reason it will not be something I want to know. You know what they call him, the guards down there?” he asked, eyes wide and transfixed on her. Rey shook her head. “Kylo Ren, that is not the name of someone you want to mix with more than necessary. He is clearly dangerous” he stated before placing both his hands on both her shoulders. “Promise me you’ll let this go” he said.

“I promise” Rey sighed.

“I mean it Rey, stay away” Finn repeated as he left the room, leaving Rey alone with in the ornate room. With a large release of breath Rey collapsed onto the bed no unlike her own.  As her eyes scanned around the room they caught the face of the ornate grandfather clock in front of her, it was half 1 now. While she knew the food wasn’t meant to go down until 2, if she waited by the kitchen she would easily get it before anyone else. Then who was there to stop her going down?

Rey’s plan went off without a hitch and soon she found herself stood at the top of the stairs that descended to the dungeon. It was only then that she began to doubt herself, why was she doing this? This man has no significance to her, no relation, so why was she so gripped by him? Why couldn’t she get him out of her head. Her hands shook and she walked down the stairs with a feeling she couldn’t name. The guards opened the door once again, though their eyes were clearly dragging up and down her ornate clothing. Rey made a mental note to change her clothes to something more befitting of a servant than a woman of the upper-class next time she came here, if she came here again. When the door closed behind her, all the uncertainty that had been pressed down by her excitement came bubbling up, and then flew out of her mouth in a highly audible squeak as she was meet with the mask of the man she had come down here to see.

“I see you came back Rey” the voice stated, in the monotone voice she had been introduced to yesterday, but there was a surprising amount of warmth in the words that followed “I scared you”.

“Of course you did! Don’t you know what you look like? It’s scary when it pops out of nowhere” she exclaimed, brushing past him to place the tray on the table. Before turning back to face him, her body tensing back up again.

“I know what I look like” all the warmth was gone now. “This though” he continued, gesturing to his mask “is not what I look like, this is what they want me to look like”. Rey suddenly felt bad for her earlier comment, in all the time she had dedicated to thinking about him, she never thought about what he must be going through, sitting alone in this dark room. Suddenly the mask seemed far more depressing to her, prison cell for his mind while in sat in a prison cell for the rest of him.

“I’m sorry, I wasn’t thinking” she apologised quickly, closing her eyes and running her fingers over them. A silence hung in the air between them until he finally spoke again;

“It’s okay”. Rey nodded curtly before placing the tray down on the small table. She picked up the key and walked up over to him. He titled his head back without prompt for Rey to unlock the padlock. The domestic nature of the situation was not lost on Rey, how they carried out such as simple task but just worked together, no words needed.  She stepped back with a quick, inaudible inhale when her task was done. He was sat down and well into his meal before she spoke again.

“Can I ask a question?” she questioned quickly.

“Go ahead” he nodded before rapidly adding, “I’m not guaranteeing I’ll answer it though”.

“Okay, how long have you had that… that… helmet on?” she asked. Her questioned seemed to stump him for a moment, like he was trying to figure out what she wanted to here. Carefully, he sucked his bottom lip into his mouth before he spoke, releasing it with a pop.

“This _mask_ for nine years but they’ve had me in a mask since I was first in a cell” he explained, as if it really were that simple.

“How old was that?” she asked, afraid of what the answer would be.

“I was ten years old” he spoke softly, a lump catching in is throat, “They had to hold me down, six of them… I didn’t stand a chance” his food was completely forgotten now and his form had slumped forward. Instantly, Rey regretted asking, the image of a boy so young undergoing an ordeal so cruel wouldn’t leave her mind for weeks. “Happy now?” his voice dragged her from her thoughts, the lump that had been there previously had completely vanished from his voice now.

“I’m sorry, for asking and what happened” she told him, unable to look at his all black form on the bed without picturing a small boy in the exact same pose.

“It’s okay” he repeated, itching the scruff of his neck which Rey noticed now was covered in stubble that hadn’t been there before.

“How do you not have a full beard by now?” Rey asked, trying desperately to keep her tone light.

“Every few days, one of the maids comes and gives me a shave” he explained, itching still itching his neck.

“Okay”

“It doesn’t help though; I still get a ton of ingrown hairs” he elaborated, his itching slowing. “And they never cut my hair, I’ve no idea of how long it is now, it’s all bunched up in this stupid mask”.

“I guess if you get it off you’ll cut it all off then” Rey volunteered. He scoffed, stopping his itching now.  They fell into silence again, only this time Rey felt comfortable in the silence.

“I should probably go” she said with a sigh, her brain torn between acting rationally and staying wrapped in comfortable silence with this man who was little more than a stranger, but yet she felt comfortable with.

“Yeah” he replied softly, clicking his mouth piece and padlock back into place.  They remained in silence as she picked up the tray to leave. “Rey” he spoke quickly, stopping her in her tracks, “I’ll see you again” he spoke in his metallic voice that somehow was feather light as it fell on her ears. She turned and nodded, suddenly unable to speak, before she left. She would realise later that the reason words betrayed her was the emotion that would have surly come out with them. When she reached the stop of the steps and exited through the door into the main corridor, she was immediately grabbed by Finn. He dragged her down the corridor, away from the kitchen to the old supply cupboard. He let go of her to pull of match from his pocket and light the candle so his face was illuminated by the pale yellow glow.

“What were you thinking Rey? Have you gone mad?!” he yelled at her, although she could sense he had lowered his voice so it wouldn’t leave the small cupboard. “Do you think the guards down there are idiots or something? That they won’t get suspicious of the rich girl taking food to the prisoner she shouldn’t know about? Because they will!” he continued, his nostrils flared.

“Finn, please. I needed to see him” she tried to explain.

“Why? What’s so special about him, you haven’t even really seen him for good sake, no one has?”

“I don’t know why! I just needed to, there’s something about him Finn. You have to believe me. Something isn’t right with him and I need to find out what it is, please” she was begging now. Finn sighed, turning to rest his head lightly against the old wooden door to the cupboard. “Finn, please understand”.

“Why couldn’t you just stay out of these things?” he mumbled, though she wasn’t sure whether he was addressing the ancient woodwork or her.

“Because I’m me, and if something isn’t right I need to know why. Especially after what happened with my father. Did they tell you how he died?” Rey was close to hysterical now, Finn opened his mouth to speak but she beat him to it. “Because they didn’t tell me. I’m never going to get closure on that, so don’t make me wonder about this for the rest of my life as well. I have to see him again, please”.

“Rey I need you to promise me something” he said after a period of silence in which Rey had begun pulling hang nails from around her fingernails.

“Anything”

“If I help you see him again, can you promise me the minute you sense danger that you will get yourself out of there?” he asked, his face now turned towards her.

“I don’t know Finn”

“Please”

“Yes” she replied finally, hoping couldn’t tell she was blatantly lying.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you liked that! In case you're wondering this is based heavily off the mystery from France around 1660 about a prisoner of unknown identity who was always kept in a mask, I recommend looking it up!   
> Please leave kudos and comments, I love reading them!   
> Hit me up on tumblr @thesixthphoenix for more nerdy stuff


	3. Chapter 3

“Right, for this to work, if it works at all, you need to look like one of the servant girls” Finn explained as he handed Rey a pile of clothes with a pair of simple flat shoes on top, which she placed down next to her on the bed.

“I get it Finn, go down at a six o’clock with tray of food, clean sheets and the rest of it, do the list of stuff you gave me and be out at the latest at seven. You’ve told me multiple times” Rey reiterated for what felt like the thousandth time. Finn had already briefed her multiple times on what to do in every possible scenario that crossed his brain, many of these briefings having been delivered while Rey sat bored on her bed and he paced in front of her, spouting paranoid nonsense.

“I just want you to be safe okay? You’re insisting in putting yourself in a dangerous position, again, I wish you wouldn’t do that but I can’t stop you so I might as well help you, don’t want you dragging anyone else in” he said the last bit with a smile from where he had collapsed down next to her, gently elbowing her in the side as he did so. 

“I’m lucky to have you looking out for me” Rey smiled back, leaning her head on Finn’s shoulder.  

“I should go, you’ll be going downstairs for dinner soon, I have stuff to do” Finn explained as he stood up with a sigh.

“Yeah sure” Rey replied. “Thanks for everything Finn” she added as he was just about to leave.

“Be safe Rey, this could end really badly” he replied sadly and he left the room, the door swinging shut behind him.

“I know” she whispered, though he had already left.

* * *

 

Rey didn’t know how long she sat there before there was a gentle knock on the door.

“Mademoiselle, supper is served in the dining hall” the young serving girl informed Rey.

“Of course, thank you” Rey said, pulling herself to her feet, brushing out her skirt as she did so, before following the girl out of the room to the ornate hall.

Everything about this room was ornate and highly decorated. The woodwork was all encrusted with gentle sweeping designs befitting of embroidery on the poshest dressed. Even the carpet that covered the cold wooden floor was highly decorated, though the main attraction of the room was clearly the glossed wooden table that dominated the entire centre of the room. Despite it being surrounded by more chairs than Rey had time to count, only three of the places were set with food and of that only two were occupied. One chair by the familiar face of Leia, her brown hair gathered up in a bun behind her friendly face which Rey could tell even from the other side of the room was hiding something ridiculously far from nice. Opposite her sat the man she rarely saw, a fact she didn’t regret. His thin skin was stretched over his skeletal features as he tall and proud at the end of the table closest to Rey. When he heard her enter his head twisted round to face her, his eyelids dropping over his near black eyes that zoned in on Rey’s form.

“Rey, sit” Snoke’s cold voice droned, his bony hand raising to point remaining set place. Without a word Rey took her seat at the table among the tension and began to eat.

“So how are you Rey?” Leia asked softly, in what Rey could tell was a desperate attempt to prevent the tension from building any further.

“Good, it’s nice to be away from the busy city” Rey responded. That was a complete lie. Rey longed for the busy atmosphere that came from their house in the city.

“Nice to know” Leia answered before silence fell again over them.

“It must also be nice to be away from all those dirty criminals that litter that area of the country” Snoke added, his voice laced with disgust as he mentioned the citizens of Rey’s home.

“Yeah” Rey spoke quickly, pushing her anger down inside her.

“All those thieves calling themselves scavengers and smugglers, like it legitimises their crimes” out of the corner of her eye Rey was sure she saw Leia’s grip on her silver cutlery tighten at Snoke’s remark. Rey nodded in response, scared her words would betray her. Despite Rey’s wishes that Snoke would allow them to continue to eat in silence, he continued.

“I mean it’s not like they are ever going to achieve anything in life, so why must they take from those are naturally born to have possessions like us. They wouldn’t know what to do with the high life even if their ‘revolution’ does succeed. Not that I would even call this tantrum as rebellion” Rey was now biting her lip to keep her from telling Snoke her true thoughts, these people deserved to be able to fight for what they wanted, no deserved. Thankfully this time though Snoke allowed silence to descend over the room and they finished their meals in silence. When Rey lay in bed that night she would imagine breaking that silence by jamming her knife into Snoke’s neck. She hated him for many reasons, though none of them more for how she suspected that Leia’s timid nature was almost certainty his fault.

* * *

 

That morning as Rey dressed in simple dress Finn had given her she stared at her petite form in the elaborate floor length mirror. She didn’t look posh or rich or fancy, she was just a girl. Her brown hair was no longer woven into a bun but now hung simply down onto her shoulders, the top of it hidden by a white cap she had seen so all the serving girls wear. She appeared to have shrunk now her heeled shoes had been replaced by these flats. Although the girl in the mirror was a stranger to Rey, she felt like she belonged and her eyes seemed like they fit the dress. Rey turned away from the mirror to leave her room behind. She met Finn by the kitchen where he handed a tray carrying food and another box containing what she assumed to be a razor.

“You didn’t tell me I had to deal with this today?” Rey whispered as Finn handed her a pile of clean sheets as well.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t know, you know how to do it right? What’s the problem?” he replied, looking clearly guilty.

“Yeah you’re right, thanks for everything” Rey responded gently, her arms now laden as she walked away towards the dungeon.

The guards let her through without hesitation, though Rey wasn’t sure she even recognised herself. He was sat motionless on the bed when she entered, his elbows resting on his knees and his face orientated towards the cold stone wall.

“Hello” Rey spoke softly as she sat the tray and sheets down on the floor next to the bed before standing awkwardly by the door.

“Hello Rey” he responded though he didn’t move from his position. Rey ran her awkwardly up and down the ruff fabric of her apron, suddenly unsure of what to do with her hands. “Do I scare you Rey?” he asked suddenly.  Rey opened her mouth to respond, then closed it again quickly, realising she had no clue to what to say. Sure, it unnerved her that she was unable when his mask was on fully she couldn’t see any of his expressions, and even when the mouth piece was removed it didn’t help much.  But scared? No, he didn’t scare her.

“No” she responded, with an amount of conviction that she hoped would convince him.  When he continued not to speak, she added, “Why do you ask?”

“They sent a new serving girl down last night, she screamed when she saw me and fainted, I guess they didn’t warn her” he explained, remaining motionless except for his hand with clenched into a fist. Rey’s heart broke for him as he sat hunched on his bed. On impulse she moved to sit down next to him and without knowing what she was doing she found herself with her hand on his arm. When she realised what she was doing she when to move her hand away but found she couldn’t for he had placed his gloved hand over hers. She watched him slowly unclench his fist and turn to face her. A gentle sigh came from inside his mask as she stared at where their hands were joined, for now he had intertwined his fingers with hers, a gesture she had unconsciously repeated. Slowly he pulled his hand away though to pull down the sleeve of his long black robe, as the material was removed it revealed a large bruise that was slowly forming on his forearm. “They thought I hurt her” the metallic voice broke with his words. In response, Rey ran her fingers softly over the area, careful not to hurt him more. When her bare fingers met his bare skin she was struck but the current that seemed to run through her fingers at the contact. He visibly shivered at the contact pulling away sharply, standing up and moving to stand on the opposite side of the room.

“You don’t deserve this” she whispered softly, trying to line her eyes up with where his should be.

“You don’t know that” he whispered back darkly.

“Yes I do” she replied confidently, walking over to him and reaching forward to grab his hand again, but he quickly pulled away. With a sigh she moved away to begin to strip the bed, a skill she remembered from the days when the servants where sick at home.

“You’re dressed differently today. You look like the rest of them” he stated from his position at the other side of the room.

“Yes I figured they would get suspicious of a rich guest visiting a prisoner regularly eventually” she explained as she reached for the clean sheets.

“Clever” he responded simply as he moved to pick up a sheet from the pile of dirty ones and began to fold.

“You don’t have to do that” she told him quickly, watching him fold attempt to fold the sheet. This was clearly something he had never done before, only seen others do it.

“It’s okay, I want to” he replied, placing his sloppily folded sheet down next to the bed. She would fix it later; she didn’t have the heart to now.  When she finished, she turned to pick up the key from the table. He titled his head back naturally, allowing her to unlock the padlock and remove the mouth piece. In that moment she longed to be able to remove the full mask and just see his face.

“Umm, sit down, I guess” she requested as she turned to pick up the damp flannel from the tray, he did as she asked and when she turned back was sat watching her carefully. Softly she ran the flannel over his face, repeating the steps she had seen her father do some mornings. They carefully she picked up the razor, careful not to cut herself, and dragged it over his face, removing the stubble that had been there. To ensure she didn’t cut his pale, delicate skin she placed her hand on his jaw, an act that was met with a sharp intake of breath. She repeated the action for his entire jaw and neck, moving her hand that was resting on her face as needed, though every time she pulled her hand away she longed to place it back.  Even when she’d finished and placed the razor back down in on the tray she kept her hand on his face, closing her eyes as they remained in position, him sat on the bed and Rey crouched in front of him.

“I wish I could see your face” she muttered, her eyes still closed but hand running down along his jaw. His hand that had been had been resting on her knee was sharply pulled away and as he stood up, lightly pushing her away as he did so.

“Well you can’t!” he told her, his fists clenching and unclenching rapidly and he turned towards the wall he had been staring at when she entered.

“I know I can’t. It doesn’t change the fact that I wish I could pull off that mask and see the man hidden underneath it because for some reason I feel something for that man and want to be able to meet his eyes for once. I know I can’t have that it doesn’t change the fact that right now it would give more than is sane to be able to do it.

“You don’t mean that” he said through gritted teeth, walking towards her.  Rey continued unnerved.

“Yes I do. I don’t know anything about you but yet I want to. Yet I’m willing to put myself in danger to come down and see you. Yet I’m willing to lie to my one of my only friends to come see you, to spend my days in a dark cell to see you. I’m willing to do all this and you won’t even tell me why you’re down here or what you’ve done”. His anger visibly grew with this comment and he lunged forward, pinning her against the wall, so only his billowy robes separated their heaving bodies.

“You wouldn’t want to know who I am. It would only bring you misery as you’d wonder why you wasted your time on me” he snarled, his hand pinning her hands above her head so he could meet her eyes with his black mask, yet Rey continued.

“Why won’t you believe that I genuinely want to know you, why else would I be down here?” she asked, keeping her still to stare into where she was sure his eyes would be.

“Because no one wants to know me” he said with equal parts anger and sadness.

“I do” she told him softly, his hands letting her arms fall back down as she said so. “Please, just tell me your name” she begged, making no effort to move away from him. His head fell at her request, so the cold metal forehead of his mask was pressed lightly against hers. It was a long time before he spoke but eventually, with a sigh he did:

“Ben. My name is Ben”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Phew! Hope you liked that, it's probably one of the more intense things I've written in my life.   
> Please leave a comment, I love reading your theories on what's going to happen next and it makes my day to know people like what I'm writing  
> Hit me up on tumblr @thesixthphoenix for more nerdy stuff
> 
> Fun fact: I wrote alot of this chapter while listening to the Avenue Q soundtrack though towards the end I switched to Spring Awakening (needed a more serious sound).


	4. Chapter 4

“Ben” Rey repeated, trying out the name on her lips. She looked up to see his face was now turned away from her to look at the wall, the left portion of his bottom lip pulled between his teeth. “Ben” she repeated again quietly. It was so ordinary, so normal but yet still felt comforting to be able to put a name to the faceless man that she was currently stood chest to chest with. “Thank you for telling me that” she said, lifting his head to look at him. He nodded curtly before moving away from her slowly, still not turning his head to look at her. Despite his movement to sit back on his bed, Rey remained with her back pressed against the wall, her mind whirring. “You should probably eat” Rey suggested, gesturing to the plate that was still sat on the table.  Ben didn’t respond verbally but did begin to eat. “How long has it been since someone used your name?” Rey asked gently, moving to sit down on the bed, though she left a decent amount of space between them.  He stopped eating, turned to face her and stared at her for a while before he finally spoke.

“9 years I think, I’ve lost track of time over the years” he explained softly. His voice sounded so broken Rey wanted nothing more than to reach over and hug him, yet she kept her distance.

“Well, let’s work it out, when were you born?” Rey asked.

“Let’s not” he said, shaking his head.

“I’m just trying to help you, to be nice to you” Rey retorted, crossing her arms over her chest.

“I know you are, I’m sorry. It’s just… it’s just” he began, making her turn around to face him again. 

“What?” Rey pushed.

“I’m a lost cause” he told her simply, shrugging his shoulders with a sad smile.

“I refuse to believe that”

“You should, I’m toxic to those around me” he whispered the last part so Rey only just heard it.  Silence fell over the two of them again.  “Tell me something about you” he said, breaking the silence. Rey smiled at his words, glad to know she hadn’t pushed too far.

“Okay, umm, like what?” she began but stopped, realising she had no clue what to tell him, she was just ordinary.

“Favourite colour?” he suggested.

“Green” she said confidently, remembering how she loved playing in the garden as a child.  He smiled at the answer.

“Favourite animal?” he continued. She thought for a minute before answering.

“Don’t really have one” Rey shrugged, there hadn’t really been many animals around her as a kid, she’d never even had a pet, and as a result they just didn’t fascinate her.

“Okay, full title?”

“Why do you say title?”

“You’re clearly rich, your dresses have shown that, so full title” he elaborated, a smile still illuminating what she could see of his face. 

“Fine.  Mademoiselle Rey Kenobi of Jakku” she said, trying to muster up all the grandeur she could but instead she just ended up sounding stupid.  If he picked up on her silly voice, he didn’t show it. Instead a flash of shock swept across his face as he took a sharp intake of breath, however he quickly caught himself and returned his face to an expressionless blank canvas. “Are you okay?” Rey asked, concerned at his sudden change in expression.

“Of course, fine” he mumbled quickly, placing the cutlery onto the tray. “You should probably go” he told her, reaching forward for his mouth piece. When he looked back and saw her dejected expression he quickly added. “They’ll start to get suspicious”. Rey nodded in agreement as she picked up the old sheets from the floor and the tray from the table. As she turned to leave, she took one last look at him, with his mask on fully now.

“One day I going to find out who you are” she told him, leaving before he had the chance to tell her she was wrong, not knowing how he would whisper “I know you will” into the empty room after her.

* * *

 

“Are you okay? Is everything fine? They spotted you didn’t they? I knew this would happen, I’m such an idiot” Finn ranted as he stood in front of Rey having met up with her again in her room, the level of panic rising with every word.

“Finn” Rey interrupted stopping him dead in his tracks so he now stared at her silently. “I’m fine, look” she explained, gesturing to body which was once again clothed in fine clothes.

“I know, sorry” Finn sighed, running his hand over his forehead and down his face. “I just get worried; you know? I care about you Rey” he added.

“I know you do, and thank you for that” Rey responded, giving him a small smile he immediately replicated. A comfortable silence hung between them before a while before Finn spoke again.

“How was it?” he asked carefully.

“We talked” Rey answered, she paused and then continued, “he told me his name which was… which was…” she trailed off, unsure of how to finish her statement. Finn’s entire demeanour changed at this revelation.

“Rey” he spoke slowly, as if his words could scare her away. “I have known about the existence of him for the three weeks he has been here, I know nothing else about him and I doubt many people. do. Someone obviously wants to keep him unknown. If he has told you his name, I need you to promise me that fact will never leave this room” he explained, his tone harsh and serious. “I don’t want you to get hurt” he added softly.

“I promise Finn” Rey nodded.

“Thank you”

“Don’t you want to know what his name is though?” Rey asked, mischievously, testing this relatively new serious nature that seemed foreign coming from the mouth of the guard she had caught asleep at his post more times than she had found him awake.  He sighed, closing his eyes. Rey could have sworn she could see the thoughts flickering through his head as he weighed up the pros and cons.  Rey didn’t wait for an answer though, “Ben”. At this Finn stiffed up completely, moving forward to rest his hands on Rey’s shoulders.  

“Are you sure that’s what he told you?” Finn asked, his hands clenching her shoulders. Rey nodded, suddenly lost for words and immediately regretted how she had spawned this change in emotion.  “I need you to be completely, 100% sure about this Rey” he spoke again.

“And I am” Rey responded quietly, suddenly nervous under her friend’s gaze.

“I need to go” he said quickly, dashing out of the room. However, he stopped just before he reached the door, “Don’t tell anyone”. With those words he threw the door open and practically ran out of the room.  At his exit, Rey sank backwards onto the bed, her legs no longer able to support her body. Thoughts raced around her brain as she tried to piece the puzzle together, but there were too many blanks.

* * *

 

Eventually though Rey found staring at her ornate ceiling too boring to remain where she was and found herself wandering down one of the many long winding corridors in the castle, stopping to look intently at each of the intricate paintings, although her mind was elsewhere.

“Are you okay Rey? You seem distracted” a kind voice spoke behind Rey, making her head whip around so she was face to face with Leia.

“Hi Leia” Rey answered with a smile, as the older women pulled her in for a hug.

“I’m sorry I haven’t been around much, have you been okay? Not too boring I hope?” she asked, her soft eyes filling Rey with a feeling of warmth.

“You know I find stuff to do” Rey answered with a small smile.

“Like the paintings” Leia suggested, gesturing to the painting behind Rey.

“Yes” Rey turned around so she could face the painting head on.

“I used to love when I had the time to just wander along the corridors taking in their beauty, I could spend hours” she sighed sadly, clasping her hands together and wringing them together.

“Are you okay Leia?” Rey asked, paraphrasing Leia’s earlier words.

“Yes, are you?”

“I honestly don’t know anymore” Rey told her sadly, unable to lie when she met Leia’s gaze.  “I just feel so isolated, I’m sorry you don’t need this” Rey trailed off.

“It’s okay, this house can be so empty sometimes” Leia told her comfortingly, tenderly rubbing Rey’s shoulder.  “I miss having a full house, with every room occupied at all times like when I was younger” Leia added, looking to the other room like if she wished hard enough she could make a load of people appear to cure her loneliness.

“You mean your siblings?” Rey asked, having never heard to Leia having a large family before.

“Yes” Leia replied quickly, though Rey had a feeling in her gut that Leia’s gentle head shake hid something.  Neither of them spoke after that, until they were both startled by the gently chiming of the clock signifying it had reached midday. “I’m sorry, I need to go sort out some more of the items for the ball” Leia apologies, unclasping her hands.  Before she left she quickly added, “If you need to talk you can always find me Rey”.

“Thank you, I’ll keep that in mind” Rey replied gratefully, wishing she could tell her about Ben.

Once again Rey returned to wandering the halls. Eventually even the most exquisite of the corridors merged into one mass and Rey wandered outside, walking through the lush garden, her hand running over the brightly coloured flowers. Among the gentle foliage though, something caught Rey’s eye. By a gate in the wall Rey had never noticed before due to it being deep into the line of trees and only faintly visible, Rey could just make out Finn facing the gate, his lips moving but Rey was too far away to hear his words. Quietly Rey made her way closer, concealing her self among the old trees so as to avoid detection. Now Rey could make out his words.

“She’s sure that’s what he told her” Finn said seemingly to the closed gate. A voice sounded from behind the gate in response.

“You know what this means right?” the man’s voice asked, too many emotions present in the words for Rey to distinguish between them. 

“I do” Finn replied, Rey knew that emotion: excitement.

“I need to go, but I’ll be in contact soon. Tomorrow one o’clock at the west gate” the concealed voice spoke. Finn responded with a yes and then there were no more sounds from the other side of the gate. As Finn briskly walked away, Rey remained hidden, desperately trying to process the meaning of Finn’s words, as she tried to figure out what was going on.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi guys!  
> Sorry for the long wait but stuff has been kind of busy (starting alevels etc.). A few more chapter left, hopefully soon!  
> As always please review and leave kudos. I genuinely do love reading your reviews, they make this all worth it.


	5. Chapter 5

Rey’s breath came out in short sharp pants as she stood against the old oak tree, the rough bark damaging her dress though she no longer cared. Her hands came up to cover her mouth as she tried to arrange her thoughts into something coherent. Her mind was filled with replays of the last few months, and even snippets of her entire life. Rey wasn’t stupid and she had always been a curious child, she could still remember to this day her tiny hand tugging on her father’s trousers while begging him to tell her who the strange men were and where he had been for the past months. There had been many people who she had seen a few times and then never again or who had simply vanished from her life but she could never find out why. At the time that had never made Rey feel scared, but right now she got the sense she had stepped into something way bigger than her but she didn’t know what. Fear began to seep into every fibre of her being as she realised she had no one left to talk to.

Her parents were dead.

Her family’s oldest friend might as well be.

Her best friend possibly involved in the source of her fear.

As these realisations floated to the forefront of Rey’s mind she felt her legs give way underneath her, her body sink to the grass, and her eyes fill with tears. She had never felt more isolated in her life.  

As Rey lost track of time the sun began to set and the light began to fade, rousing Rey from the near comatose state she had fallen into. Her eyes flited around her as she raised her head before she pulled herself from the ground using all her strength and padded slowly back to the house. In this time, rain began to fall. Despite a quickening in Rey’s pace she still found herself damp when she crossed the thresh hold of the building, her brown hair stuck to her head and shoulders. When inside Rey suddenly discovered she didn’t know where she was going, though her feet carried her aimlessly through the ornate hallways as they faded from the freshly painted walls full of fine art to the simple wooden panelled walls of the service corridor, a corridor Rey had become very familiar with of late. Then her eyes found where she had ended up, the kitchen. Instantly Rey regretted giving the servant’s clothing back to Finn. She desperately longed to go down there again, to just talk to him again, just to escape from the secrets and unknowns around her. Just as Rey shoulders slumped and her body fell at the realisation that Finn was unlikely to let her go down there after his reaction earlier, fate intervened.

A petite serving girl with a basket full of laundry stumbled past Rey, her feet giving way as they caught the edge of a broken floorboard. As she fell, her basket empty onto the floor in front of her. On impulse Rey lent down to help the girl pick up the clothing, but as her hand fell onto the same brown fabric as the girl was dressed in Rey couldn’t help herself from brushing a dress, apron and hair net behind her, concealing them with her body as the girl picked herself and her slightly lighter basket up, thanking Rey as she did, before leaving.  Rey breathed a sigh of relief as she watched the girl disappear before darting into the nearest storage cupboard where she pulled off her dress to change into the much servant clothing, thanking God that the skirt was long enough to cover her fancy shoes. She pulled the white cap onto her head hastily, shoving her still wet hair up into it to hid it from view, hoping no one would see her as anything other than a simple serving girl.

“Hi” Rey mumbled as the door closed behind her.

“Twice in one day, you must be really bored today- “the masked figure in the centre of the room began, his words cutting out when he turned to face her. Her eyes where still rimmed with red from her tears, her wet hair now exposed after she had pulled the cap off. The baggy dress hung off her making her look smaller than her already petite frame really was. He stood there wordlessly for several moments. Rey remained fixed in place by his gaze, her hands gripping the tray in her hands. It was him who moved first, his long strides taking no time at all to reach her, his gloved hands reaching out to take the tray from her and place it on the door next to them. The gentleness of the gesture shocked her, how a man who looked more machine than man to her right now could be anything but intimidating. His hand reached out to gentle hold one of the damp strands between his gloved fingers. “Stay outside too long?” he joked, though she could tell even through the mechanic modifications, wasn’t laughing much.

At his actions Rey felt her bottom lip begin wobble and the tears she thought she had banished earlier begin to seep out again. Rey felt his hand freeze against her as he stood motionless in front of her as a lone tear began its path down her cheek. Slowly he unfreezes and his hand moves from her hair to wipe the tear away, his other hand moving to rest on her shoulder. Although the movements are jerky, slow and clearly foreign to him, Rey finds a warmth spreading through her in response. As his hand moves from her face Rey, scared he will pull away, finds herself with her head rested on his cloaked chest, her breathing still coming out in sharp burst. Time seems to stop as they stand there, his hand now gently rubbing small circles onto her back through the thin fabric.

“What happened?” the monotone voice asked from above her.

“It doesn’t matter” Rey responded, pulling away from him so she could look him in the face, or mask as it was.

“Okay” he bent down to pick up the key from the tray, fumbling to unlock the mask himself. Rey moved to help him but already had the key in the lock before she could help him. “Rey, just so you know” he began as he placed the mouth piece back onto the tray, “I’m stuck down here so I’ve got plenty of time to listen” he continued, now facing her again. Rey opened her mouth to speak but found no words came out. “I’m serious Rey, I’m not going anywhere, I’m not like other people you’ve known”.

“What makes you think people have left me?” Rey asked, suddenly angry at his, albeit correct, presumption.

“You’re down here with me” he responded simply.

“Maybe I’m down here because I’m curious”.

“I’m not that interesting”.

“To me you are” Rey told him softly. At that he turned away from her to go and sit down away from her. “No” Rey spoke sharply at his attempt to end the conversation. “You don’t get to turn away from me”. He didn’t move. “Don’t pretend to me you aren’t interesting, that you don’t matter because you do. Nothing was happening here until you came here. This place was silent, now it’s a buzz. People are constantly busy, people I’ve known for years suddenly don’t have time for me. My oldest friend is avoiding me and having secret meetings about something I’m sure I should know about! So you don’t get to pretend you aren’t important because you clearly are”. When she finished she found herself stood panting frozen in the same spot.  He sighed heavily, putting his head into his hands, so the cold metal met the black leather.

“Why? Why do I matter?” he mumbled into the floor.

“I wish I knew” his head shot up at her words, his earlier words clearly not intended for her.  “Just tell me who you are, Ben” she was pleading with him now.

 “I can’t Rey”, his voice breaking.

“Why?”

“I don’t want to be responsible was what will happen next”. Rey frowned at his cryptic words, not knowing what to make of them.

“What would that be exactly?” when he didn’t respond Rey picked up the tray of food and dumped in next to him. “Eat” she said simply, standing to the side. They remained in silence until Rey was moved the leave, the empty tray now in her hands and his mouth piece back on.

“Wait” his voice stopped her in her tracks, though it wasn’t the word but the defeated undertone to the metallic noise. “Go listen to your friend’s meetings if you really want to know, I can’t guarantee they will tell you what you want to know but it may be the safest way”.

“Thank you” Rey nodded curtly as she left.

* * *

 

Rey had hardly slept at all night as she stood waiting for Finn the next day. Under her eyes lay a deep purple and her skin seemed for far more dull than usual. She was sure Leia had noticed at breakfast that morning but luckily she didn’t ask. Rey wasn’t sure if she could lie to that woman. She stood ringing her hands to together nervously as she waited against the same tree she had hid behind the day before. The clock tower had chimed long ago to signal it was one o’clock long ago but there was still no sign of Finn, nor were there any noises coming from the gate. Maybe she had misheard them and she had missed her chance. It was hopeless, she thought, she was never going to find out what was going on around her. She began to move now, walking over to the rickety old gate. Her fingers slipped into the grooves the weather had worn into the wood, tracing the rivers that ran through the aged material. Bored, she tapped her stubby fingernails against the wood, chips falling away from some areas, scattering around her feet.

Someone tapped back.

Shocked, Rey pulled her hand away sharply before recovering her senses and tapping again in response. No one tapped back this time. She tapped again. This time there was a response, she could hear feet on the other side of the gate scrambling to get away. Adrenaline kicked in and Rey found herself pulling open the gate from where it had become lodged after years of immobility and stepped through, pulling the gate shut behind her.

“Wait!” she yelled after the retreating figure she could see disappearing, without thinking she yanked up her long skirt and ran, following them into the woods. Quickly though she found herself lost in the unfamiliar environment, the light of the clearing no longer visible to her.

“Who are you?” a harsh voice demanded as a cold blade was pressed to Rey’s throat from behind, the figure behind her, a man she now presumed, held her still with his other arm which was now around her waist.

“Rey Kenobi” she spat out quickly, her body immobilised with fear. Just as quickly as it had been placed there the blade was withdrawn and she was spun around the face the man. His dark, nearly black, brown hair was pushed away from his face but still a few strands hung forward rebelliously, his chin was covered in a layer of stubble that Rey suspected resulted from a lack of time over preference. His dark brown eyes were boring into hers now as they stood face to face. Rey looked down to see the knife still clutched in his hand next to his simple loose fitting trousers and white shirt that hung off him.

“Why are you here Rey?” he asked, his eyes still fixed on hers.

“I don’t know anymore” she replied honestly, finding herself unable to formulate an explanation under the angry stare of this strange man. “I was looking for Finn”. At this the man’s eyes softened slightly but still he did not move.

“What makes you think he’d be here?” he asked, his words less severe.

“I heard you him talking to who I presume was you yesterday” she explained, moving her head slightly to avoid his gaze.

“What do you know?” he spoke carefully, waiting for her to reveal something. A silence hung in the air as Rey tried to figure out what to say, in the wait the man began to move away, tucking the knife into his belt.

“I know about the prisoner, I know about Ben” Rey spoke suddenly afraid she would lose her chance to find out why everything was becoming stranger and stranger around her.

“So you are the one who told Finn” the man responded, a sigh of relief echoing from his mouth as he turned to face her again. “Poe Dameron” he told her, extending his hand towards her. Cautiously, Rey took his hand to shake it.  “Do you know anything else Rey?”. So she told him, about her dead father, something he already seemed to know and his apologised profoundly for, about the Leia and Snoke, she swore she saw his skin crawl at the mention of this, and about her meetings with Ben. This last bit intrigued him the most. She had never had someone listen so intently to her as he did in that moment. When she had finished he finally spoke again.

“Rey, do you have any idea of the significance what you have just told me?” he asked slowly, she shook her head in response. “Come with me” he said before walking off into the woods, Rey hastily following behind him. Eventually they reached a tree where a white horse with an orangey-blonde mane was tied up. At the sight of him the horse turned excitedly, clearly glad to see him. “Easy boy” Poe spoke softly to the horse, stroking its nose softly before beckoning for Rey to come closer.  Cautiously she walked towards them, the horse turning to look at her, its head tilting as it took her in. “This is BB-8” he introduced the horse to Rey, beckoning for her to come closer still. She responded by walking so she was now stood next to BB-8’s head opposite Poe.

“She’s very beautiful” Rey commented, running her fingers through the horse’s mane.

“Yes” Poe sighed, like a proud parent would. “Hop on” he told her, patting the horses back and gesturing for Rey to climb on. Carefully, Rey pulled herself up onto the horses back, instantly grateful for her childhood riding lessons. When she was seated on the horses back Poe climbed on in front of her, placing his feet into the stirrups, before giving a quick pull on BB-8’s reins and beginning the ride. “How long have you known Finn?” Poe asked her as they broke through the forest onto a quiet country road.

“Since I was 11 so 8 years, he was the only one who talked to me when I came to visit though he was just a shoe boy then” she explained, remembering how her days visiting had been brightened by finding a friend in the young servant. “Where was he today?” Rey asked, sensing she didn’t want to know the answer. Poe sighed in response before speaking.

“Finn was fired last night. I received a letter in the early hours of the morning, apparently they’re tightening security. I still came today in case he was there but obviously he wasn’t. Finn’s never late.” Poe explained, she could see his hands tighten their grip on the worn leather reins.

“Do you think he’s alright?” Rey asked, suddenly worried for her friend.

“I don’t know” Poe replied honestly. Neither spoke for the rest of the journey.

* * *

 

Eventually they stopped at a small mill, it looked abandoned to Rey, the well wasn’t turning in the river and the paint work was chipped and fading. Yet when BB-8 came to a halt outside Poe jumped down and raised his hand to help Rey down. Rey was about to question where they were as she was helped down before she was prevented from doing so by a loud voice that echoed from the door way.

“Well? What did you find out- Who is she?!” the man with grey hair and a fair amount of wrinkling marring his tanned skin cried out, his hand jutting out to point at Rey.

“This is Rey Kenobi, she’s the one who told Finn about Ben” Poe explained. The man’s expression changed drastically at this, his hand falling limp at his side and his mouth hanging slightly open.  “Rey this is Han Solo, welcome to the resistance”.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, lots of familiar faces in this chapter...  
> As always please review, I absolutely love some of your theories as to what's going to happen next!


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

The man she had learned to be Han Solo paced in front of where Rey was sat in a hall, which was far more well maintained that the outside of the old mill. Every now and then he would stop to gaze at one fixed spot for a moment, sometimes looking right through Rey, but every time he would quickly resume his pacing, the pattern only being broken by the entrance of Poe, carrying a tray of cups. He set one in front of Rey, picked up his cup and took a seat at the head to the table, so Rey and Han were on either side of him.

“Han, say something” Poe half asked, half ordered, the concern for the much older man clearly present in his voice, Rey began to wonder if Han acted like this often.

“How do I know you’re telling the truth, kid?” Han asked sharply, turning on his heels to face Rey. Rey felt like a dear in the headlights, swallowing quickly and heavily.

“About what? About Ben?” she choked out.

“Well I’m not talking about the weather am I?” he shot back sarcastically, his eyes fixed on hers.

“I guess you don’t”

“Not good enough, describe him” he ordered, his eyes narrowing to fix on Rey, making her shift uncomfortably in her seat, Poe watching on out of both shock and interest.

“I didn’t see much because of the mask but he’s pale, black hair, a deep voice, really quite tall, about your height” she recounted slowly, desperately casting her mind back to all the glimpses she had caught of what was under that mask. This account seemed to change Han drastically as he practically fell into the chair next to him, running his hand over the five o’clock shadow that covered his jaw. 

“He’s a bit sarcastic I bet, kind of makes you want to punch him sometimes” Han sighed, his chin resting on his hand. Rey didn’t know how to react, was he talking to her? His words seemed directed at her but his gaze and tone made him seem like he was alone with his thoughts.

“Yes he is, why do you ask? he said he’d been in their since he was 10, did you know him before?” Rey asked cautiously, unsure if he wanted her to speak. Han let how a cold laugh ended just as quickly as it began, running his hand through his grey hair now he lifted his head to look Rey in the eye across the table once more.

“Of course I know him, he’s my boy. Ben Solo is my son” Han explained, his pained voice accompanied by a sad smile that filled his face briefly. Rey was speechless, her mouth dry. Another part of the puzzle that was Ben fell into place, he was Ben Solo, son of Han Solo.  “I thought I lost him” he sighed sadly before turning to Poe. “Get all the men you can, send any men you want to go get as many supporters as they can find” Poe nodded in response, rising to his feet to leave, giving Rey as reassuring pat on the shoulder before he did.

“If you don’t mind me asking, if your Ben’s father, who’s his mother?” Rey asked cautiously, wary that she may be overstepping a boundary, her hands clasping her lap, gripping the rich fabric that seemed so out of place here.  Han sighed once again, taking a large swill of his drink before he began to speak.  

“I guess it’s easier if I tell you the whole story” he began before he started to tell her a story which would never leave her mind.

_March 1659, France_

_“You make it out okay princess?” he joked as he stood leaning against a tree as the young girl with her long brown hair tied up into an elegant bun rounded the corner._

_“How many times to I have to tell you I’m not a princess” she responded quickly, smiling now that he was in her full view._

_“Your mum was a princess, that makes you a princess by default, nothing I can do about it” raising his hands in mock surrender and shrugging his shoulders._

_“Well maybe I don’t want to be a princess, didn’t think of that did you?” she dared, stepping closer to him as he stood upright so she had to tilt her head upwards to meet his green eyes._

_“Still going to call you one princess, what else would I call you” he practically whispered, cupping her checks with his hands to tilt her face upwards._

_“How about Leia?” she breathed before he leaned down to press his lips against hers in a kiss she instantly reciprocated, tangling her long fingers into his short brown hair._

_September 1659_

_The winter was drawing nearer as Leia stood waiting under the same tree she often found him against. The leaves were turning shades of burnt orange and brown though above her, leaves regularly fluttering gently to the ground and falling at her feet. Leia wrapped her arms around her torso to try and shield herself from some of the harsh wind that threatened to knock her tiny frame over._

_“Couldn’t wait to see me then?” a familiar voice joked from amongst the trees not long before the owner of the voice emerged with it. Though when he saw Leia face, her forehead screwed up and her teeth knowing on her lower lip he immediately rushed forward so he was now standing directly in front of her. “What’s wrong?” he asked softly, placing his hands gently on her shoulders and rubbing up and down, trying to warm her up._

_“I think I’m pregnant Han” she told him, her voice barely above a whisper. His expression momentarily froze in shock before his eyes widened and he swallowed loudly, his eyes remaining transfixed on her. “Han! Say something, please”_

_“Marry me” he spluttered out quickly._

_“Excuse me?”_

_“Marry me” he repeated this time with more certainty as he got down onto one knee, not carrying if he ruined his trousers._

_“Maz won’t like me marrying a scoundrel like you”_

_“You don’t care about that”_

_“You’ll be in hiding”_

_“I don’t care Leia. Marry me” he repeated for the third time only this time Leia nodded in response causing him to rise up onto feet to press as passionate kiss to her lips, wrapping a strong arm around her waist as if he could keep her there forever._

_July 1666_

_“You don’t happen to know any magic way to get a child to sleep through the night do you?” Satine sighed with a slight smile as she walked up to give her old friend a one-armed hug, the other supporting a tiny baby girl._

_“Hello Satine” Leia replied with a smile, “Hello Rey” she said sweetly, leaning down slightly so she could she was at eye level with the little girl who blinked her eyes open to stare at Leia. “She’s adorable” she added as she raised back up to her full height._

_“She is but she really doesn’t sleep through the night” the man behind Satine added, before pulling Leia into a large hug._

_“They never do Obi Wan, this one still doesn’t sometimes” Han replied, gesturing to the black haired boy a few paces behind him_

_“Hey! That’s not fair” the boy cried, running over so he could stand next to his father. “It’s not my fault sleep is boring” he added, pulling himself up so he was as tall as he could be. Han simply ruffled his hair in response._

_“Hi Ben” Obi Wan smiled down at the little boy trying to look imitating. Ben didn’t respond, his eyes having caught sight of the little bundle in Satine arms. “Who’s that?” he asked Han, titling his head to look up at him and pointing at Satine._

_“This is Rey, Ben. She’s our daughter, come say hello” Satine explained, beckoning him over to see them. Cautiously Ben shuffled over before standing on his tip toes to get a better look at the young girl._

_“Hello Rey” he whispered, his brown eyes meeting her large hazel ones._

“I remember this,  coming to see you every summer, the cottage in the woods with all the ivy. That was you wasn’t it?” Rey interrupted, the gears of her mind turning rapidly.

“Yes it was, I’m surprised you remember, the last time I saw you must have been on your fifth birthday” he sighed fondly, the memory obviously a happy one.

“I don’t remember that clearly, only bits and pieces” she explained, unable to add that she mainly remembered it due to her father’s relocations to her long since the visits. “I liked Ben, he always used to play with me” she adding smiling.

“Yes he did, you were one of the few other kids he didn’t regularly get in arguments with” Han laughed, though Rey didn’t miss the sadness that the laugh hid. 

“What happened Han? My father told me bits but he never wanted to tell me everything, and I never wanted to ask” he asked cautiously, not wanting to upset the comfortable understanding that seemed to be between them at the moment. Han didn’t answer for a moment, formulating his words in his head.

“As I’m sure you know by now, Leia is the granddaughter of the King and Queen from before the Great War and Snoke took over” he began, the disgust present in his voice as he uttered Snoke’s name. Rey nodded, her father had told her as much. “During the Great War they were killed, along with their son and his wife though they sent Leia into hiding with the housemaid Maz who managed to escape, she raised Leia. Anyway, Snoke struggled to retain control after the Great War, too many were loyal to the old royal family. So when Snoke caught wind that the youngest in line was still alive he sent for her” his words trailed off as his teeth sunk into his lower lip. “I still remember the day they came like it was yesterday”.

_December 1669_

_It was the middle of the night, the sun long since disappeared behind the hills, yet Leia was still awake, her mind buzzing with Obi Wan’s warning. They knew she was alive, that she was here._

_“It’s nearly all packed, shall I go wake Ben?” Han explained, his brown hair ruffled and messy, his shirt sleeves rolled up as placed the two suitcases by the door. Leia nodded solemnly her eyes taking one last look around her home. Han had only just disappeared up the stairs when there was a sharp knock at the door that cut through the silence like a knife._

_“Miss Organa we know you’re in there, please open up and this won’t get nasty” a cold voice sneered from behind the door.  Leia bolted up from her seat, every muscle in her body tense._

_“He’s just getting dressed” Han began before Leia held up a hand to silence him._

_“Keep him up there, don’t let him come down” she ordered. “Their outside” she added in a whisper, titling her head towards the door. Han nodded quickly sprinting up the stairs. It was too late though; the men had heard them._

_“We can hear you have company Miss Organa. If you come with us they will be left alone” the voice told her, sending shivers down her spine._

_“You promise you won’t hurt them?” she asked, her voice shaking. Han was now back down the stairs staring at her._

_“They’ll be left alone Miss Organa. You have the emperor’s word” the cold voice promised. Leia didn’t respond she just stood there shaking, her eyes staring straight into Han’s. “We’re waiting, you either come now or we try another approach” the voice threatened._

_“I’m sorry” she mouthed at Han before responding to the voice. “Okay, I’ll come with you” she croaked out, her voice cracking.  Han was viciously shaking his head now, anger brewing behind his expression. “I love you” she whispered sadly as her hand reached the door knob, her eyes swimming with tears._

_“I know” he replied back, not trusting his voice with any more words. And then she was gone._

“The first I knew of the marriage was Obi Wan’s letter of condolence, ensuring me that this war was not over despite most revolutionaries having given up hope of a rightful heir taking over the throne, most of them saw Leia as a traitor. He was just grasping at straws at that point, my Leia was gone. Then, not a year later they came for him. I didn’t see it coming, didn’t even know they knew he existed, let own saw him as a threat” his eyes were filled with tears now, his strong voice breaking. “We were on the run, I didn’t know they knew of him, I got careless. I was washing clothes in the river, I was angry at Ben for some reason, some stupid kid thing I don’t remember any more. He wandered off into the forest. I didn’t even notice till I heard that scream. His scream as they grabbed him. He screamed for his dad and I couldn’t save him. I couldn’t get to him in time. When I got there I just found blood and one of his shoes” his eyes were now completely full of tears that refused to spill over now, his knuckles white.

“I’m so sorry” Rey whispered, her own tears falling sliding down her checks.

“I thought he was dead. I should have known better; I should have looked for him more. They took my boy and I gave up” he cried, the tears now dripping down his face.

“You couldn’t have known” Rey comforted, reaching across to pat his hand with her own.

“I should of though” his voice was clearer now, angry his hands closing into tighter fists.

“Excuse me” Poe interrupted, his head sticking around the door. “The teams have been dispatched, they should be back by tomorrow evening” his eyes flitted between Rey and Han, noticing the visible tear tracks down Rey’s face.  “I think we need to get Rey back, it’s been two hours since I met her, they may start to notice soon” Poe explained guiltily.

“Of course” Han nodded. “Can you just give us a minute?”

Poe nodded softly before closing the door.

"Rey" his voice, soft and filled with pain. "how is Ben?" he asked, his voice now barely above a whisper. Rey paused, not knowing what to say. 

"He's, alive", she spoke carefully intending to end but the deeply pained eyes her own met made her continue. "Sarcastic, aloof, kind of an ass really but, he's somehow still nice. I feel safe around him" she explained, a small smile forming on her face as she thought back to the last afternoon, his arms wrapped around her as she had a rare meltdown into his chest. How her stomach filled with mild butterflies before every meeting. Han smiled at her words.

“Go find my boy and tell him I'm coming for him” he smiled at her, clasping his hands in front of him.

“Of course” Rey smiled, before she opened the door to leave, giving Han one last smile and a quick wave before she fell into step with Poe out of the mill and back to the castle full of new information and plans.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow, that was hard to right though I hope it shins some light on Ben's past, some of your predictions were very dark and I'm not that evil! (though there's still time...). Other writers answer me this: is it normal to tear up while writing?  
> Please leave kudos and review, it always makes me smile!


	7. Chapter 7

Rey struggled to control her breathing as she gingerly walked up the path back into the building. What would people say to her? Would they even know she was missing? Her breaths were coming out in short sharp pants as she attempted to regain control unsuccessfully. When she entered no one even looked up though, she walked through the corridors and no one paid her the slightest attention, well nearly no one.

“Hello Rey” a kind voice called from behind her, causing Rey to turn around faster than she initially planned.

“Hello” Rey squeaked out her mind turning at the speed of light. She hadn’t thought about this; she hadn’t planned for this. She kicked herself mentally for being too busy worrying about Ben to think of Leia.

“Are you okay, you look a little pale?” Leia asked gently, like her own mother would.

“I’m actually feeling a little tired I was just heading to bed, thought I’d get an early night” Rey lied quickly, her mouth running faster than her brain.

“Are you sure? It’s not even six o’clock yet” Leia pressed, her eyes drifting to the large grandfather clock a little further down the corridor.

“Yes, I’m really tired” Rey forced a smile in attempt to reassure Leia but clearly she didn’t buy it. “I’m just missing Finn now he’s left” she added in a desperate attempt to assure Leia she was fine, when she really wasn’t. Even the mention of Finn sent of a pang of pain through her chest as the truth of his dismissal hit her like a ton of bricks. 

“Finn’s left? Why was that? I thought his job was secure” Leia wondered out loud, her forehead creasing.  

“Something about tightening security” Rey shook her head, not really sure what to say. Until today Rey would have thought it strange that Leia didn’t know what was going on but now she couldn’t say she was surprised.

“I haven’t heard anything” Leia continued, her mouth forming into a frown. “I’m sorry dear, I need to go” she added before turning to leave. Rey opened her mouth to call after her but found it dry and the words unable to leave her mouth. As Rey watched her leave she began to doubt everything, what had she gotten herself involved in? Was she a complete moron for trying to help? She still didn’t know the answer as she pulled the servants clothing out from the back of her wardrobe nor as she stepped down the familiar cold stone spirally stairs. Her movements were natural, automatic even, as she walked towards the familiar door but today wasn’t like the others. The guards didn’t let her through today, instead they simply stated that now only they were allowed to enter the cell and she was to leave the food with them. Crushing that part of her spirit that wanted to object, she handed them the tray and left with a quick nod.

She didn’t sleep well that night, unable to stop panicking about what she was going to do. Han had told her to warn Ben of what was to come but now she had no clue how to. Whatever they were planning, she prayed it wasn’t dependant on her being able to get down there, because otherwise he was doomed.

Rey floated through the next few days, nothing to do, no one to see. She felt like a ghost as she watched the ornate halls get filled with finery for the upcoming ball, not saying a word. She found with every day she missed Finn more, missed having someone to confide in, she missed Ben for the same reason, missed his sarcasm, she even missed the moments when he had become cold and turned away from her, just because when he turned back around it made it all worth it.

Every day she faded more from reality, that was until the fifth day when she was shocked back to life. She had simply been walking through the corridor, like she spent most days, when a familiar hand had grabbed her wrist and pulled her into an empty room next to them.

“Poe!” she practically yelled when she saw his face, her smile suddenly broad before it fell away just as quickly as it had appeared when she realised why he was here. “What are you planning?” unsure if she wanted to know.

“Tomorrow night, during the ball one of ours -we have a dozen or so allies working as staff- will drug the guards’ tea. Then at nine o’clock you will go down there, and get Ben out using the prisoners entrance. Then you need to get him over the wall and I will meet you a few metres to your right, understand?” he explained softly, his eyes scanning her constantly for signs that she wasn’t okay with that. Rey nodded swiftly, committing everything he had told her to memory. She had one question left though. “Then what?”

“We go to war” he sighed, no longer looking at her.

“Then why go to the effort of getting Ben out?"

“We need him. We need a member of the old royal family they still trust to rally the number of people we need to do this” he continued, rubbing his hands together nervously.

“He won’t want to be a pawn” Rey told him, knowing there was no way that man down there was going to get back into the spotlight that had put him down there.

“That’s why we need you” Rey looked at him puzzled. “You got him to tell you his name, he clearly trusts you” Poe added with a soft smile.

“Hmmm, I guess” Rey sighed, she hadn’t thought of it that way before.

“So you’ll help?” Poe pressed, interrupting her thoughts. Rey nodded quickly,

“Of course, tomorrow, nine o’clock” Rey repeated, reassuring herself more than Poe. Poe affirmed this was the correct time, gave Rey as quick reassuring hug before opening the door to leave. Just before he could vanish out the door Rey remembered one last thing.

“Poe, where’s Finn?” she asked desperately watching his face fall visibly and his shoulders sag.

“We don’t know, I’m sorry Rey” he apologised, the regret laced with guilt audible in his voice. 

“It’s fine” Rey choked out as she watched him leave, even though it really wasn’t. Her heart was in her throat as the door closed behind him, a place it still hadn’t left as she lingered near the edge of the room the following day, watching a party unfold in front of her. All around her delicately embroidered dresses swirled and mixed with the pressed silk shirts and velvet trousers. Eyes brushed over each other but never truly meet as the richest people in the country surrounded each other in the most prestigious building in the country.  Yet Rey stayed out of it. She didn’t care or notice who looked at her peeling the skin off around her fingernails in her slate coloured dress that hung close to her figure and dropped down at the top exposing the tops of her shoulders. She didn’t care who noticed her flat shoes that she had defied many people to wear for, although they made her look far shorter than she was in comparison to the other ladies, she could run in them. As the clock edged closer to nine, she edged further out of the room so that when it struck nine she was out the door before anyone could blink.

Her hands trembled as they gripped the iron railing on the way down, her stumpy nails pressing into the metal. The sight of the two unconscious guards when she reached the bottom did little to calm her rapid breathing, her hands continuing to shake as she lifted the bolt from the lock to open the door.

“Ben” she called out softly, her feet taking small steps into the dark room.

“Rey?” as voice called back, the mask of its owner coming into view moments later. He looked different though. His usually tall frame seemed to have drooped along with the rest of him. He was much thinner and even through the mask Rey could sense his voice was weaker.

“What’s wrong? What did they do to you?” Rey was in front of him an instant, her hands on his biceps, her eyes skittering all over his body, looking for any more changes.

“Nothing” he tried to reassure her before giving up, “Something’s upset them, and I guess I’m to blame” he added, his voice stopping suddenly as he titled his head to see the wide open door and the unconscious guards. “Rey, what’s going on?”.

“You’re coming with me, that’s what’s going on” she told him as sternly as she could muster, grabbing his hand to pull him out. His head immediately fell down to look at their joined hands before he pulled his away.

“Rey, I don’t know what you think you’re doing but this isn’t worth it. I’m not worth it” he begged, his voice audibly breaking underneath the metallic sound.

“Listen to me” she began, putting her hand on the side of his mask to force him to turn to look at her. “You don’t get to decide what’s worth me doing. It’s my life, I can throw it away and I want to do this, to help you. So you are coming with me Ben Solo”. His entire body froze up at his full name.

“How-how d-d-do you k-kno-ww my n-ame” he stuttered out.

“I’ll explain when we’re out of here, now are you coming?” she asked- a sudden burst of adrenaline flooding her system- her open hand extended out to him, waiting for him to grab it, which he did, allowing himself to be dragged out of the cell. Down the corridor, they ran, until they reached a patch of what appeared to be bare stone.

“What are we going to do now?” he asked frantically, pulling his hand away once again and taking a step backwards. Rey didn’t answer, instead she glided her hands along the stone surface until they found what she was looking for. With a delicate hand she pressed down onto a patch of rock that, to Ben’s surprise, went in. Slowly the wall slide away to reveal a small area of grass that quickly disappeared into the forest.

“Come on” Rey beckoned before hiking her long skirt up and running into the woods, Ben hot on her heels. They soon reached a brick wall where Rey stopped, “Can you give me a hand up?”. It took Ben a moment to respond but when he did he immediately formed his hands into a step for Rey to place her feet into and hoist herself over the wall, dropping down onto the other side with a soft thud. When Ben had pulled himself up from the ground, his eyes where met with the sight of Rey’s back as she scanned the forest, her eyes soon settling on a patch to her right. Without warning she walk briskly in that direction, Ben half jogging to keep up, confusing running through him. Though he soon realised her purpose when he came face to face with Poe.

“Well done Rey” Poe smiled broadly as he pulled her in for a tight hug, his eyes not leaving Ben. “Hello, Poe Dameron” he spoke to Ben now, extending a hand to the masked man. Ben did not shake it though, his body tense and alert. Poe pulled his hand away awkwardly before picking up a large metal tool from the floor. “I thought this might be useful” he gestured to the tool, explaining it was a lock cutter to Rey. Ben nodded carefully, still not speaking.

“Let me do it Poe, why don’t you go make sure everything is ready so we can get out of here soon” Rey proposed, extending her hand for the plyers.

“If you’re fine with that” Poe nodded, giving Rey a soft pat on the shoulder as he disappeared amongst the trees.

“Let’s get that mask off then” Rey explained, trying to force a reassuring smile that she knew wasn’t working. Ben nodded again, tilting his head back and kneeling on the floor before her. “You’ll have to keep really still” Rey told him, her hands shaking slightly. Eventually her wobblingly hands got the plyers around the main lock holding the mask on, breaking it with a sharp snap. A shiver ran through Ben’s body as the lock fell onto his knees. With the plyers now thrown onto the floor, Rey reached to remove the mask. Her hand was stopped as it made contact with the mask, Ben’s gloved hand covering her own. “It’s just me” she spoke softly, his hand falling away allowing her to pull the mask off, dropping it are her side as soon as it was free so her eyes could fall on him.

His black hair hung down to his shoulders, an unruly mass from years of being trapped in a mask yet. In a sharp contrast, his skin was ghostly pale, making his brown eyes and his full pink lips pop out her. Falling to her knees, she continued to take in his face. His nose and ears where slightly too big for his face and his mouth was pressed into a tight line yet Rey still found her eyes drawn to him. She still felt comfortable as her hand gently caressed the side of his face, her fingertips barely touching his skin.

“Ben Solo. The man in the iron mask, it’s an honour to finally meet you” she sighed with a small smile, barely more than two inches between their faces, their breath mingling.

“You still haven’t told me how you know that name” he replied, a smile spreading across his face to match hers.

“It can wait” she told him, her voice barely above a whisper, her gaze unable to separate from his.

“This can’t” his hand came up to brush her face, running down her cheek till it settled under her chin, his fingers tips gently supporting her chin. His fingers were still cold from the leather gloves he still wore but Rey didn’t care, her mind was far more focused on the gentleness with which the hands touched her, on the intensity of his gaze as he brushed his lips against her softly, drawing a sharp gasp out of Rey before she pressed her lips against his. The kiss only lasted a few seconds but when they separate they were both breathing heavily. Their foreheads were still pressed together as he whispered in her ear, his breath grazing her ear:

“Maybe this life is worth something after all”.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay! They kissed!  
> Let me know what you think of this chapter, this was probably one of the hardest to write and I hope it turned out alright :) (though I loved writing it, especially the ending)


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Changes Made to the ending.

No one spoke on the journey back, Poe tried but sensed quickly decided against it. Whatever was going through Ben’s mind was incomparable for anyone else but that wasn’t stopping Rey from trying. Her eyes were glued to Ben as they sat in the cart that was being swiftly pulled along by BB-8, guided by his rider Poe. Ben’s head never moved, his eyes glazed over as they stared into the dark night. Rey on the other hand couldn’t separate her eyes from his face, desperately trying to take in all of his face in case it was taken away again. Neither of them noticed when they stopped, not even reacting when Poe called their names, his voice hesitating on Ben’s name. However, another voice calling Ben name snapped him straight out of his trance.  
“Ben!” the broken voice of Han Solo called from the doorway as he stared at his son. Ben swallowed sharply in response, slowly rising to his feet and stepping down from the cart.  
“Han Solo” he greeted the older man, keeping his distance from him.  
“It’s good to see you again” he sighed, a small smile appearing as he took a step closer to Ben, though Ben still didn’t move. “I never thought this would happen, I longed for it but never actually believed- thought for a moment you would come back” he stumbled over his words.  
“So you thought about me then?” a cold voice asked.  
“Of course I did”  
“Then why couldn’t you show some of that caring nature before you lost me! Before I was taken! Because all I remember was a man who blamed me for his wife leaving him” Ben’s voice had taken on a sudden sharp tone as he took slow steps forward, the hard edge of his voice contrasting against the tear making its way down his cheek. Han stared at him speechless. “I was a kid and you acted like I committed genocide, just because mum left you!” he yelled the final five words, making Han stumble backwards before righting himself and pulling himself up straight.  
“Ben, your mum didn’t want to leave you” Rey spoke softly as she walked to stand at his side. “She was forced to”. Ben’s expression broke into confusion at her words. “You never told him” Rey turned to Han, her eyes filled with anger. He didn’t need to answer her question; she knew.  
“Come inside” Han gestured for them to follow as he headed inside, Ben and Rey following slowly behind after a moment’s hesitation. As they walked inside Ben’s eyes never meet his father’s retreating frame but instead remained fixed on the walls around them. “Sit” Han sighed, as reached the room where Rey had learnt who the man next to her was. “I’m sure you have lots of questions” Han began but Ben soon interrupted him.  
“Why did mum leave?” his voice broke with every word as Han’s face crumbled.  
“Snoke made her. She had to go or he’d have killed us, killed you” Han explained softly, his hands rapidly folding and unfolding in front of him. Ben’s head dropped further, though Rey could see him biting his lower lip. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you at the time, I was angry” his voice cracked further “I thought it was your fault, I blamed you and you were just a kid. I thought she’d had stayed if it wasn’t for you. But, but You’re my son Ben. I loved you so much, I love you so much” tears were now openly falling. His brown eyes fixed on the bowed head of his son, yet still Ben didn’t speak he didn’t even look at his father.  
“Ben” Rey prompted, her voice shaken from Han’s confession. “Ben, please say something” she begged when he didn’t respond.  
“I need to process this” Ben explained, staggering to his feet, yet still his eyes didn’t meet his fathers.  
“Of course, upstairs on the right there’s a room you can stay in. If you want to stay” Han answered, gesturing down the hall. After a curt nod, Ben quickly left. After what seemed like hours of silence between the two, Rey spoke.  
“I’m going to go check on him” she spoke quickly before dashing out of the room in the direction Ben had gone. When she reached the room, Han had directed them to, her eyes met one of the saddest sights she’d seen. Ben was hunched over on the bed, like he’d been when she first saw him, only now she could see him. She could see his eyes filled with pain, his pale face framed by his far too long dark hair that hung limply, matted from years of being stuck under that mask. When she entered, he didn’t look at her. Instead his eyes remained fixed on the mirror across from him, and the reflection he could see it in.  
“I never grew into my nose” he spoke calmly, his eyes never moving.  
“What?” Rey asked softly, remaining where she stood in the doorway.  
“Or my ears, mum always said I would grow into them. I guess she was wrong” he added, a slight laugh now present in his voice. With this Rey came and sat next to him.  
“They’re not that bad, the hair though…” she quipped back, meeting his reflections eyes. He smiled.  
“Rey, about what happened earlier” he began, turning to face her.  
“Yes”  
“It shouldn’t have happened, I’m sorry, I was overwhelmed”  
“Oh” Rey answered softly, her mind a blaze with a mixture of feelings she couldn’t separate. “Okay I understand” she nodded carefully, a mask hiding her true feeling of disappointment. She ran out quickly before he could speak again, not letting herself back, afraid it may break her. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a quick update today. Sorry I haven't been able to post in a while but I recently went back to school and starting sixth form is no easy feat. I'll probably add more to this chapter or edit it at some point but don't worry, I am alive and well and so is this story!


	9. Chapter 9

She was halfway down the corridor when she heard the soft thud of the door behind her. A cacophony of emotions swarmed through her mind as she padded softly down the stairs. His face has been full of so much shame and apology when he had told them they were a mistake but the awe and passion that she had seen in his eyes in the forest could not leave her head, it haunted her mind wherever she was. The soft touch of his lips against hers wouldn’t leave her, an imprint forever marring her skin. Leaning against the wall, she closed her eyes as she let herself fall back into that moment before shaking herself out of it, remembering where she was and what was happening.

“Rey? Is that you?” a voice called from the room next to her.

“Mhmmm” Rey hummed, walking into the room to see Han hunched over the table, his hands digging into the old wood.   
“How is he?” he asked.

“Overwhelmed, it’s confusing for him after being in prison for so long. I don’t think the freedom as properly set in yet” she explained, each word chosen carefully as she tried to explain Ben’s fragile state. Han didn’t respond, instead he sank into one of the chairs pulled haphazardly from under the table and never been returned. “It will pass, it’s understandable after all those years”.

“Fifteen”

“Excuse me”

“Fifteen years, he was in there” Han explained, his eyes shooting up to meet hers, piercing into her very soul.

“It’s not your fault, you didn’t know he was there” Rey attempted to comfort, seeing the guilt etched into his faced.

“I should of, I should have looked for him”

“It’s not your fault” she repeated, unsure of what to say.

“NO!” he yelled now, his hands clenching into fists as he leaned forward. “It is my fault. I gave up. I let him stay there and now my own son won’t meet my gaze” he spat out with an intensity that caused Rey to take a step back.  “I let my wife leave us. I let the two people I love most in this world go in the span of a few months. Everything about this is on me, I was reckless”.

“Leia choose to leave; you couldn’t have stopped her. I know what a stubborn person she was” Rey tried to explain, though her words seemed to have the opposite effect.

“Was?” his broken voice croaked out before he went silent.

Then he stood, walked to the door and was about to leave before he quickly added to Rey, “There’s a bed upstairs if you need somewhere, room on the second left” and then he vanished before Rey could respond. Usually she would have chased after him, wanting to know what he was planning as that was not the actions of a man going to bed, however she hadn’t slept in so long she found herself subconsciously dragging herself up the stairs to the room Han had indicated. Within moments of falling into creaky old bed, covered with only a thin sheet, she was asleep.

And that was how she awoke the next morning, a crick in her neck from the awkward position and chill now brushing over her bare arms from the open window. Upon pulling herself from the bed, the first sight her eyes met was her own reflection in the tiny mirror opposite the bed.  Her hair was a mess, strands falling loose everywhere from the delicate up do it had been pinned into the night before. Carefully she pulled the pins from her hair until it fell softly down her back, her scalp still stung from the harsh pins but as she shook her hair free she instantly felt much better. Her dress that had been perfectly pressed was now wrinkled from being slept in but there was nothing she could do about that. The bags under her eyes were now accentuated by the smudged makeup but as Rey rubbed to try and remove it, it only made the situation worse. Before she could spend any longer in her trance, she was pulled out of it by shouting from downstairs. While she couldn’t distinguish the words, it was unmistakably Ben’s voice.

hooves and the chatter of voice echoing from outside, though they were nearly all lost next to the shouting coming from the figures stood outside of the door. Ben stood in front of Han, now only dressed in the loose-fitting shirt and well-worn trousers she assumed must have been under the tunic but the most noticeable change was his hair. No longer did his black hair hang down past his shoulders but instead had been cut short so barely fell past his jaw, the slight stubble remained though. Han on the other hand was dressed in the same clothes as she had left him in last night, the only difference being the metal chest plate he now wore. Despite her quick walking towards the pair the only words she could distinguish were the final words Ben uttered before stalking away from his father and towards Rey:

“You never think of anyone else, do you?”

“Ben, what’s going on?” she asked desperately as he stalked past her, his figure quickly disappearing back upstairs without answering her question.  “Han?” she called only when she turned she saw he had already left from her view as well. While Rey pictured many sights as she walked outside the one that meet her was beyond her imagination. Men and horses where everywhere, many of the armed and holding firearms. There must have been at least 50,000 troops in the field that extended past the cobbled courtyard where Rey stood trying to process this sight. Her eyes scanned everywhere they could, looking for an explanation and it found one talking softly to a horse. “Poe, what is all this?” she asked when she reached his side, now recognising the horse at BB-8.

“We’re preparing for an attack on the castle” he spoke simply, his voice holding back emotions she knew where there.

“This soon?”

“What did you expect Rey?” he voice was sharper now, though Rey didn’t miss the fear that lay underneath it. “The Empire know we exist now and that we are planning something. We must strike fast before they can prepare properly. We leave at sunset.”

“But the sun’s nearly gone” she exclaimed, seeing how low the sun was in the sky already. “You can’t be properly prepared either this quickly” she reasoned, a sinking sensation setting in in her gut.

“Maybe you should have thought about that before your little chat with Han last night” Poe mumbled, turning away from Rey to face BB-8 again, softly running his hand over the horse’s nose.

“Excuse me?”

“You know what I’m talking about. After your conversation with Han last night he was suddenly certain that this had to go down tonight. You’re right! We’re not properly prepared but Han says we have to go today so we go today” Poe explained, his eyes narrowing and nostrils flaring.

“Poe, I didn’t want any of this” she tried to reason but was meet with a simple huff from Poe before he led BB-8 away, the horse glancing briefly at Rey.

Rey was powerless as she stood watching the commotion around her, men were rushing around her as the sun sunk lower and lower in the sky. Rey was powerless to move from her spot, her mind ablaze as it tried to take in this new information. Had she caused this? Had she pushed Han to war?

“What are you doing out here?” Han questioned, standing in front of her, his tired eyes looking down on her. Rey moved to leave, but Han stopped her with a hand on her shoulder. “This has to happen Rey, Snoke has gotten away with his behaviour for too long” he explained.

“But you could die Han, you are really going to leave things with Ben like this? He already lost his family once” she pleaded.

“I’m sorry Rey but I have no choice, I have to, for my country, for these people”

“For Leia” Rey finished, knowing what he was going to say. He nodded slowly, looking away from her.

“Sir, it’s time” a solider interrupted, standing next to Han.

“Thank you, I will be there in a moment” Han answered quickly. “If I don’t make it back just, just… look after him for me. Don’t try and be a hero, don’t let him be hero. Just get out of here” he hastily told her before rushing off towards the group of now still soldiers. Rey nodded even though his back was now turned to her. Tears were in her eyes as she watched the large group disappear, wrapping her arms around herself as she began to feel the cold chill of the wind. Time flew past Rey as she stood outside in the cold, staring at the now empty field before she felt a blanket being drapped around her shoulders. When she looked up she saw Ben standing next to her, his hair whipping across his face due to the wind.

“Why didn’t you go with them?” she asked softly. He sighed before answering.

“I’m a stranger to them. Half of them probably suspect me of being a spy” his voice wavered in the wind. “I can’t bear to watch him be this reckless, it’s not going to work”.

“You don’t know that” Rey’s optimistic side cried.

“Oh but I do, did he tell you why we were on the run when I was taken?” Rey shock her head that she was craning upwards to look at him. “Thought not. When my mother was taken, he didn’t just give up. He and a bunch of his friends, anyone he could find really, stormed on the castle to overthrow Snoke. They failed. Many people died that die including my uncle Luke. Han barely made it out alive, he only managed to make it back to me because his friend Lando and Chewie caused a distraction so he could get out back to me. They both died” his hands were both clenched into fists now. “And now he’s sending many more people to die, so no I will not endorse this mass suicide” he finished before stalking inside, Rey hot on his heels, the blanket still wrapped tightly around her shoulders. He collapsed into a chair near the empty fire place in the room that Rey was now very familiar with while Rey remained near the door.

“We should light the fire; it’s only going to get colder” she suggested. He nodded, his back still to her and began pilling wood from the pile next to the fireplace into it before reaching for the one of the matches next to the box and lighting the fire, prodding it with a pole until it fully started going. The room began to warm up instantly and Rey found herself drawn to the fire until she had pulled up a chair next to Ben so they were both sat in front of the fire.

“Why did you come visit me Rey?” he asked cautiously as he added another log to the fire. She thought for a minute before answering.

“You interested me”

“Is that it?”

“I thought you might have something to with my father’s death” she added, hyperaware of how stupid she sounded.

“Obi Wan is dead?” he asked, no attempt to mask the shock in his voice. She nodded slowly in response, leaning forward so her elbows rested on her thighs. “I’m so sorry”.

“You remember him” she stated as the flames flicked in front of her eyes.

“Of course I do. I recognised you the minute you told me your full name. I used to love when you came to visit”

“You used to steal my toys” she reminded him, remembering an eight-year-old Ben running away from her as she tried to keep up on her much shorter legs.

“You used to pull my hair” he retorted, remembering a four-year old Rey pulling on his messy hair.

“I miss when life was simpler” she sighed.

“Before you met me?” he asked, his voice suddenly laced with an undertone of anguish.

“No, before you were taken from me” she sighed, before they fell into a comfortable silence. Rey didn’t notice Ben’s eyes on her as she faded back into a soft slumber as the fire died down.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Only one chapter left!  
> Please leave kudos and review  
> (oh and to anyone feeling really defeated right now, you can't give up now, you just need to keep fighting for what you believe, now more than ever, my love goes out to all of you)


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here we are, the final chapter!

“Help me” a voice shouted from outside, the panic seeming to echo throughout the empty corridors. Rey was pulled sharply from her light slumber, her feet running outside to the familiar voice before she was even truly aware she moving. “Rey, please help” Poe begged when she came into view. Rey’s heart leaped into her throat when she saw the man he was struggling to hold up.

“Finn?” she choked out, if that really was him. The Finn she knew had a bright light in his eyes and a friendly smile that always seemed present. This man had none of this, one eye was swollen shut by a large bruise and there was blood seeping into his shirt. The life seemed to have drained from him, as if sucked right out of him. Rushing forward, Rey was at his side in moments placing his limp arm over her shoulder and guiding the two men into the building when they carried him up the stairs to place him into the bed that Rey had slept in not long ago.

“How can I help?” Ben’s voice asked timidly from the doorway, Rey’s head snapped round to see him after momentarily forgetting he was there.

“Get towels, sheets, linen anything, we need to stop the bleeding” she said quickly, the words merging into each other as her eyes fell back onto the man lying in the bed.

“He’s burning up, something must have gotten infected” Poe explained, the worry creasing into lines onto his face as he pressed his hand against Finn’s forehead with a gentleness that was not lost on Rey.

“I’ll get some cold water” Rey ran out the room, knocking into Ben, who was now carrying a mixture of cloths, as she sprinted down the hall and into a room she hadn’t entered before, but looked like a kitchen. Throwing opening the cabinets haphazardly until her eyes fell on what she what looking for.

“Where are the water?!” she yelled, her hands shaking as they held tightly onto the bowl.

“There’s a pump outside, it’s okay Rey. Go back upstairs, I’ll get you some water” Ben explained calmly, taking the bowl from Rey’s shaking hands before she sprinted upstairs with a short nod. Poe had already started pressing torn bits of what Rey presumed where bed sheets to Finn’s gapping wounds, but the blood just seeped into them, staining them red.

“It’s not working, why isn’t it working?” Poe cried, his hands pressing the cloth harder into a particularly bad wound on Finn’s side, but a groan from Finn caused him to relieve the pressure a bit.

“It needs stitching” Ben told them as he placed a bowl of cold water on the table next to Rey.

“I think I saw a sewing kit downstairs” Rey disappeared before either of the men could fully process her words.

“How can you know that?” Poe spat at Ben.  Ben didn’t answer with words though, instead he simply rolled up the sleeve of his shirt to show the long scar that went up his forearm.

“He’s not the only one the guards beat and no one wants to let their insurance policy bleed out so I’ve been sewn up more times than I can count” Ben explained softly, his eyes meeting Poe’s for the first time. Poe’s gaze softened with this before turning back to the man on the bed as Ben soaked tore off some of the sheet and soaked it in the cold water before pressing it to Finn’s forehead.

“I found it” Rey announced as she ran back into the room brandishing a needle and thread. Poe hastily move out the way allowing her access to the wound he had been desperately pressing the cloth into.  Despite her shaking hands, she managed to pull the needle across the wound enough times to hold it closed as she tied the thread off at the end. While Poe found another deep wound, this one in his leg, and Rey rushed over it once the first own was sewn up, all while a silent Ben pressed a cold flannel into Finn’s head, changing it once it began to warm up. And so they worked, for how long they didn’t know but eventually Poe and Rey found themselves sat on opposite sides of Finn, Poe now pressing a cold cloth to Finn’s forehead with one hand while his other ran up and down Finn’s arm. Ben had left and taken the blood stained discarded cloths with him.

“I don’t understand why they would do this?” she wondered aloud. It was a lie, she knew exactly when they would do this. Information had been leaked and Finn was one of the few to know it, so they tortured him.

“He wasn’t moving when I found him, he was just hung there, limp, his hands tied above him. I though he was dead till I saw his chest move slightly. I was worried I wouldn’t get him back here in time” Poe lamented, his gaze never leaving Finn’s face.

“You love him, don’t you?” Rey said breaking the silence. Poe nodded, biting his lip.

“I know what people think but I do, more than my own life” he explained softly, his eyes becoming misty with tears.

“He’ll be fine, his fever’s breaking, you’ll be okay” Rey tried to reassure though in reality she had no clue what was going to happen. Her heart broke for the pair in front of her. Her mind drifted to Han and Leia and how they had lost each other. To her father and mother and how they had both been snatched from this earth too early. Suddenly she couldn’t be there anymore. She slowly stood up, leaving them alone. Poe didn’t even look up when she closed the door behind her. Downstairs she found Ben scrubbing a blood-stained cloth in a bowl of murky water. His hands stilled when he saw heard footstep behind him. As soon as his eyes meet hers and he turned around Rey couldn’t stop herself from collapsing into him. His arms wrapped tightly around her instinctually as she cried silent tears into his chest, his hand running gently over her hair.

“How is he?” he asked softly when her tears stopped flowing and she pulled her head away from his chest, his arms remaining wrapped around her.

“I don’t know” she admitted with a choked sob.

“It’ll be okay Rey” he tried to comfort her.

“You don’t know that! You can’t know that. Yes, things could work out for the better but they could also work out for the worse, Finn could be dying up there. Snoke could be killing your family and yet you… you…” she stammered over her final words.

“What? I’m what?” his asked, his voice restrained.

“You’re calm, you’re not freaking out. You’re acting like this is any normal day and you’re not scared out of your mind!”

“You think I’m not scared, that I’m not more worried more than I’ve even been because let me tell you. I am more scared than you can ever comprehend but being scared doesn’t help anyone so yes I hid it because what else am I meant to do?!” his voice seemed to shake with him. “I don’t want to lose him, I can’t” he admitted in a small voice as he fell backwards onto a chair, his head collapsing into his hands.

“Why didn’t you tell him that?”

“Because I couldn’t okay? Because I don’t know how to manage all these emotions, I’ve been locked away for years and now I am more frightened than I have ever been” his hands were shaking now as he clasped and unclasped them. “He’s my dad, of course I don’t want to lose him again” he added quietly, breaking what was left of Rey’s heart.

“It’s okay, it’ll be okay” she mumbled, repeating his earlier sentiment with the same amount of uncertainty, as she pulled up a chair next to his, linking their hands together.

That was how they remained until a frantic boy burst through the doors.

“Message from Captain Solo: Snoke is dead. The country is free” the boy announced with a shaky smile.

“We need to go” Ben exclaimed, his body buzzing as he walked briskly outside. Rey didn’t follow him though, instead she ran upstairs to the room where Finn and Poe were. Finn’s eyes were open now and he was turned on his side so he could face Poe. She couldn’t hear their whispered conversation but it stopped soon after she entered the room.

“Snoke is dead” she exclaimed happily, her words were met relieved smile from Poe and Finn. Poe sighed loudly through his smile before bending his head down to meet Finn’s smile with his own in a deep kiss.

“Go” Poe smiled at her when he broke away and Rey needed no further instruction.

Ben was already fading into the distance when she climbed onto the BB-8, who had dashed forward to meet her when she stepped outside. And so, she rode, all the time Ben’s just a bit in front of her.  She lost sight of him when he left the wood but when minutes later they left the woodland her eyes found him again. He had dismounted, the black horse that was clearly exhausted had been left behind as it’s rider walked towards the castle, his legs breaking into a run when the figure of a woman walked out of the castle. The two of them collapsed into each other as Leia held desperately onto her son who in turn gripped his mother in a tight hug as they slumped to the ground.

“Ben, my boy, my baby boy” she cried happily as her weathered eyes took in his face for the first time in many years, his hand running over his face.

“Mum” he cried in response, tears openly streaming down his face. Rey continued to watch from a distance as Han approached the pair, falling next to them. His eyes met Ben’s only this time the emotion in his eyes matched his fathers as they embraced; a family reunited.

* * *

 

1 month later

Rey stood at the edge of the grand hall watching the party unfold in front of her. All around her delicately embroidered dresses swirled and mixed with the pressed silk shirts and velvet trousers, only this night was very different to the one when they had broken Ben out of prison. Now the room was no longer filled with Snoke’s supporters but by the people who had remained loyal to the true royal family throughout all the hardship. Rey watched as Leia effortless mingled with the crowd, Han on her arm as they smiled with old friends and thanked soldiers for their valent efforts. Ben was there as well, as constant chain of people coming up to him. Poe and Finn where at Rey’s side, Finn’s cane resting against the wall next to them as he leaned against Poe for support. Rey smiled at them before telling them she was just going to get some air outside.

The fresh air circled around her as she stood outside in the garden, running her fingers across the petals of the delicate roses.

“Rey” she was broken from her trance by a familiar voice behind her.

“You got away from the crowds then” she stated with a broad smile at seeing him. He had changed so much since that night in the woods when she had seen under the mask. While he was no longer stick thin he still retained his lithe gangly body, his hair was cut neater now but still hung in much the same way in soft black waves down to his chin. Even though he was now officially the heir to the throne, no amount of finery could make her see him as anything but the man she had meet in the prison cell.

“I wanted to see you” he smiled, walking towards her until their faces where centimetres from each other.

“Here I am”

“Yes, you are” he sighed happily as he ran a hand along her forearm, pulling her hand into his own when he reached it, gently running his thumb over her hand.

“How does it feel to be the heir to the throne?” she asked playfully, smiling up at him.

“Strange but right” he explained. “What are you going to do now?” he asked softly after a few moments.

“Go back to Jakku I guess” truthfully, she hadn’t given much thought to going home, she had been too busy helping Poe with Finn and helping everyone with the transition to think about her own future.

“You don’t sound too sure about that” he sensed her uncertainty. “You know” he began gently, his eyes never leaving hers. “This is a big house, it’s going to get mighty lonely”.

“Are you asking me to stay?” she asked shyly, both scared and eager for his next words. Only he didn’t respond with words, instead he brought his free hand up to cradle her face before leaning down and pressing his lips to hers in a kiss that took her breath away. This was not the desperate kiss from the woods but was instead filled with love, gentleness, and a passion that Rey didn’t think was real.

“I thought you said we were a mistake” she breathed out when they separate.

“I’m afraid you’ll have to forgive me, I’m not very good with all this emotional stuff, will you stay and help me learn?” he joked, his pupils dilated and his hand not leaving her face.

“I think that can be arranged Prince Ben Solo”

“I’m glad to hear that Lady Rey Kenobi of Jakku” he smiled back as she wrapped her arms around his neck, tangling her hands in his thick hair before pulling him back down till they were once again locked in a kiss that Rey never wanted to end. For the first time since her father’s death had forced her from her home Rey felt safe and happy for she had found a new home in Ben’s arms.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whee! I hope you liked the ending, it took me while to work out what I wanted to happen but I hope it's okay.  
> Thank you so much to everyone who has reviewed and left kudos on this, every single one of them made my day a bit brighter. Thank you for sticking with my story as I worked out what was happening as I went but I hope something good came out of it at the end (it was meant to be 3 chapters!)  
> If anyone wants a sequel let me know (I have ideas...)  
> As always, please leave kudos and review.

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you like it so far, more chapters coming soon!  
> Hit me up on tumblr @thesixthphoenix for more geeky stuff (tbh it's mainly reylo)


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